SA's T20 World Cup squad includes seamer Ayanda Hlubi and uncapped legspinner Seshnie Naidu.

In addition to experienced 15 players, South Africa has picked uncapped 18-year-old legspinner Seshnie Naidu and 20-year-old seamer Ayanda Hlubi for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Both athletes competed in the first-ever Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup, which took place in South Africa the previous year.

With the exception of wicketkeeper batter Mieke de Ridder, the remainder of the squad competed in the 2023 T20 World Cup and advanced to the final. Shabnim Ismail has now retired, and Lara Goodall, Masabata Klaas, and Delmi Tucker are the only ones who are left out of those.

After replacing Hilton Moreeng as the team's temporary coach in June, Dillon du Preez will stay on as coach. There is currently no permanent head coach appointed by South Africa.

Laura Wolvaardt will serve as the team captain. Experienced players on the team include seamer Ayabonga Khaka, opener Tazmin Brits, and all-arounder Marizanne Kapp. Nadine de Klerk should be fully recovered for the competition, having just recovered from an Achilles ailment. South Africa will play three matches in Pakistan before traveling to the United Arab Emirates. They last played against India in July.

The addition of Naidu and Hlubi suggests that South Africa is looking forward, especially in light of rumors of a return from Ismail and former captain Dane van Niekerk. Van Niekerk resigned in the face of controversy after failing to make the T20 World Cup squad due to fitness concerns, while Ismail retired following the 2023 T20 World Cup final. Ismail is still participating in T20 leagues. Although there was "no conversation" about a return, Clinton du Preez, the convener of selectors, noted that van Niekerk had signed with Western Province for the forthcoming season. Du Preez emphasized that she would need to reclaim her position, saying she had "no timeline" on a potential comeback to the national team.

Du Preez stated, "The message is very clear." "She has opted to come back and play provincial cricket and she has got to try and knock down the door, do whatever she does best, and then we will consider and see how it goes forward."

Naidu and Hlubi are among the first to profit from what Du Preez referred to as the squad's present "transition" state. Both players are members of the Dolphins cricket team in Durban; in Division One's 50-over competition last summer, Hlubi was among the top ten wicket-takers. She went on tour with the national squad to Australia as well.

Du Preez stated, "She has good qualities as a quick bowler." "We watched her during the regional tournament, and it's clear to see how excited she is about bowling and about entering a World Cup as a player who is relatively unknown in many nations. We are considering how she may enhance and support her bowling attack."
Although Naidu's career is still in its early stages, she has already participated in a significant continental competition. She has been recognized as a potential star and was a member of the South African Emerging Women's squad that participated in the Africa Games in Ghana earlier this year.
"In our camps, Seshnie Naidu has demonstrated tremendous progress as a bowler, and we regard her as an X

The spin attack will be spearheaded by another Dolphins star, Nonkululeko Mlaba, who was formerly ranked second in the world in T20Is. There are other seam-bowling possibilities in South Africa, such as de Klerk, Kapp, Khaka, and Tumi Sekhukhune. Concerns about batting depth might arise from the team's excessive reliance on Wolvaardt, Kapp, and the British, particularly in light of Sune Luus's poor record. Luus has been removed in single figures four times this year and has not scored more than 19 in any of her six T20I innings.

Luus's decline occurred after she captained South Africa on their incredible journey to the T20 World Cup final the previous year, and their group efforts have since followed suit. Since then, South Africa's only victories have come from

Luus's decline occurred after she captained South Africa on their incredible journey to the T20 World Cup final the previous year, and their group efforts have since followed suit. South Africa has only won five of the 18 Twenty20 Internationals since that competition, and they have lost series against Pakistan, Australia, and Sri Lanka.

They won't face any of those teams in the group stages of the next World Cup. They are in Group B and will play England in Sharjah before starting their campaign in Dubai against the West Indies. After that, they'll go back to Dubai to play Bangladesh and Scotland.

Although Luus and Khaka have some experience in Sharjah, South Africa has never played a Twenty20 international match in Dubai, unlike any of the other teams in the competition.